Bought a rotiserrie black pepper chicken yesterday and as usual, we couldn’t finish it. There are many great ways to use leftover chicken. You can add them to casseroles, noodles, wraps, soup, fried rice, sandwiches, etc etc… For our dinner tonight, I added it to baked rice.

Heat 1.5 tablespoon olive oil or melted butter in a pan. Lightly fry minced garlic until fragrant, then toss in carrots and beans and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat and combine well with cooked rice or mixed grains.

– FOR THE SAUCE

In a saucepan, heat 2 tablespoon olive oil or melted butter. Fry onions and garlic until fragrant. Add mushrooms and fry for a further 3 mins until mushrooms are tender. Add stock and milk and bring to a boil. Lastly, stir in plain flour mixture until sauce is thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.

– PUT RICE TO BAKE

Put rice in a large casserole or several smaller ones. Place shrimps or sliced chicken breast meat on top of rice. Spoon mushroom sauce evenly over the rice and sprinkle some grated cheese on top. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 15-20 mins until golden brown. Serve warm.

Durian, you either love it or hate its pungent smell. In my family, Daughter #2 detests it so much that we’re prohibited from speaking or entering her room if we consume it. It’s a seasonal tropical fruit and the rest of us simply love its creaminess. It is best eaten fresh and any unfinished fruit has to be consumed quickly. I normally use leftover in desserts like cakes and as fillings in choux pastry puffs. We had some leftover from yesterday and hubby suggested durian pancakes. The rest of us relished it quickly before Daughter #2 returned from her morning jog!

(B) durian flesh from 4-5 durian seeds (need not be exact, slightly more or less is alright)

(C) egg whites from 1 egg

(D)
1 egg yolk
185 ml buttermilk or coconut milk (I use buttermilk)
– (if u don’t wish to be stucked with a unused carton of buttermilk, make your own by adding a tablespoon of lemon juice to a 185ml of fresh milk and let it sit for 10 mins until milk thickens)

6) Grease a heated skillet very lightly with melted butter. Lower heat and drop spoonfuls of batter slightly apart (as durian has high sugar content, take extra care not to overheat the skillet). When bubbles appear on top of pancakes, flip it over and press it lightly down with the spatula. Continue to cook on low heat until both sides are golden brown and done (flip several times to ensure even cooking).

7) Repeat with rest of batter. Pancakes can be made ahead and refrigerated in an air-tight box for 2 days and reheated in a microwave, skillet or oven.

Daughter #1 bought this pappardelle while on a recent trip to New York. Interestingly, the pasta is infused with natural flavours of lemon and black pepper. To appreciate its intense flavour, it is suggested to enjoy it with nothing more than a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. For my gals’ bento lunch today, I added some vegetables to it with a slice of grilled salmon. The cooked pappacdelle has a mild tart lemon flavour and the black pepper gives it a slight spicy kick. Tastes even better with a drizzle of lemon juice over it. Definitely another simple thumbs up recipe to keep!

We love mixed grains, especially those with a combination of brown rice, rolled oats, buckwheat, barley, job’s tears, wheat, millet, black glutinous rice, dried chick peas & black eyed peas. With all the necessary proteins, carbs and dietary fibres, it’s a nutrition packed meal to serve at home or to bring to work. Mixed with assorted vegetables, it can be enjoyed hot or cold. Really simplicity at its best !

a nutrition-rich combination of grains and peas

MIXED GRAINS SALAD (serves 3-4)

For this recipe, I prefer to cook the vegetables and rice separately. This way, the vegetables remain crispy and the rice, cooked in the vegetable stock, even more flavorful.

In the past year, Daughter #1 has decided to eat less meat. For one who, until a year ago, must have meat in her daily meals, it’s admirable to see her determination to switch to a healthier choice. The rest of the family inevitably is influenced too, so juicing fruits with vegetables and eating vegetarian meals have become a regular for us now.

Expecting a rough week ahead at work, Daughter #1 requested for packed lunch to take along over the next few days. So good mum swung into action this morning and made Vegetable Medley Gratin. Very nice, sweet and fulfilling, Daughter #1 described in her message to me during her lunch break. In any way, if you want to clear the vegetables in your fridge, this recipe is a “good” riddance, if you know what i mean 😀

1) Bring potatoes and milk to boil for 10 mins. Add carrots and pumpkin and continue to boil for a further 8 mins or until all ingredients are just done (do not cook for too long). Turn off heat and set aside.

2) Heat 2-3 tablespoon cooking oil in a pan. Add (B) and fry till fragrant. Toss in peppers and mushrooms and stir-fry for 2 mins. Add zucchini and cook until slightly tender, then add broccoli and cook for 1 min.

3) Carefully add potatoes-carrots-pumpkin-milk mixture into the pan of vegetables. Sitr well and bring to boil.